Macbeth
(2015)- Drama, History, War

Hohum Score

95

Hohummer

Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

“ Australian director Justin Kurzel directs Shakespeare's magnificent drama (as adapted for the screen by Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, and Todd Louiso), moves the action outside of the claustrophobia of a stage castle and into the breathtaking majesty of the land of Scotland and the result is an epic film populated with some of our finest actors of the day who are able to deliver Shakespearean poetry with the finest seasoned Shakespeare actors of the day.

“ This movie should be used as a torture devise for those who don't read reviews which says "STAY AWAY FROM THIS STUFF!

“ Ah well, I wanted to like it, will try to sit through it a second time, but not convinced, I found it dull.

“ Meanwhile, time is passing, the audience is waiting for a story to be told but we are faced with more and more self indulgent cinematography.

“ Wondrous, breathtaking; horrible humanity .

“ Michael Fassbinder, Paddy Considine and David Thewlis are three of the world' best actors whether on stage, film or television, all of whom have well-deserved acclaimed credentials, so it is hard to imagine why Justin Kurzel's Scottish Play seems so dull and tired.

“ Overall, the film is intense and depressing to a fault, unapologetically so.

“ I had not any problem with unusual monologues/dialogs in the film, but some may find it hard to follow.

“ Every frame is a painting here, and the cinematography is utterly mind blowing.

“ Even though the slow motion sequences do become tiresome, over all, he utilises the Scottish landscape as another character to capture the look and feel of horror that comes from this story of betrayal.

“ Fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare's iconic tragedy, Justin Kurzel's drama is a stunning and well-crafted epic, featuring some unforgettable performances from Marion Cotillard, Paddy Considine, Sean Harris and of course, Michael Fassbender in the role of the savage tyrant, Macbeth.

“ Sorely disappointed with Fassbender who usually has such depth was monotonous and dull.

“ Kurzel and a dedicated cast and crew, and Shakespeare, do salvage gripping entertainment from the jaws of early troubles.

“ The most notable change is its unexpected side-lining of Lady Macbeth, and this is also its biggest mistake.

“ The wide shots were great but the close-ups were really dim and gloomy looking, in a pretentious way, which worked negatively towards building tension, demonstrate emotion and electrifying the audience.

“ Fassbender makes for an extremely uninvolving Macbeth and he often seems more bored than anything.

“ Watching them hatch their plot and crumble when it fails is riveting.

“but there's no excuse for this flat, one-note -- and I don't just mean the monotonous, dirge-like score -- utterly tedious, tiresome mess.

“ It brought a great enthusiasm to me while trying hard to stay focus with its rather slow pace.

“ Most scenes feel just a bit too long which, along with some not so praiseworthy acting, makes the film seem slower than it should be.

“Macbeth is a visually stunning work whose elimination of swaths of dialogue to fit the battlefield scenes bothers me a bit.

“ There was no story-telling!

“ The motion picture was well directed by Jed Kurzel who also composed the thrilling score .

“ is very, very, very (and did i say VERY) slow moving - it drags like hell.

“In addition, at first, it assembles a series of slow planes, that do not come to story.

“ Intense .

“ But for someone unfamiliar with the story of Macbeth i think it might be a little hard to follow at times.

“ With that aside, I did find the pace quite slow and the long, unnecessary speeches made it seem like it was never going to end.

“I'm going to watch it again to see if it was just the initial viewing, and I'd advise reading Macbeth before seeing the film, as that may be where I'm going wrong, but on initial review I think the actors didn't convey the correct emotions with their dialogue and on- screen actions, thus making it a disjointed experience and robbing it of emotional relatability.

“ A complete waste of time .

“ A pretentious way of film making just to be seen poetic and artistic.

“ The final scene is in an environment of reddish dust, making it so intense and stylish.

“ Every moment of this film is breathtaking.

“ This version's visuals (cinematographer Adam Arkapaw) and music/soundtrack are fascinating (though at a few times in the film, the music goes overboard by increasing its volume).

“ Fassbender was born to play this role and portrays Macbeth in a powerful and emotionally engrossing way and Cotillard is a beautiful and faultless Lady Macbeth (she has a great monologue in one scene which gave me goosebumps).

“ However, if the number of people who walked out of the cinema is anything to go by, it is more of a critical success than a public one.

“ I'm really not a fan of Shakespeare's writing but I heard great things about this film, especially the main characters acting but I personally fell asleep through most of this film.

“ Pretentious, Unbearable .

“ Pretentiously boring because...

“ In fact he takes us back to a world of wooden huts and untamed lands, of barbaric warriors, and of the vast, empty, and mountainous regions that lie to the north of England.

“ However, like the rest of the cast, she was a bit boring at certain scenes.

“ See Polanski's version instead- because a monotone Macbeth equals a botched Bard.

“ An evocative introduction to the play .

“ It does take the familiar material into more compelling spaces.

“On an overall scale, Macbeth is an overambitious art-house flick that will hypnotise its viewers with its rich, colourful & vivid imagery yet there are going to be few who'll find it a chore to sit through due to its sluggish pace, poetic conversations, empty spectacle, half-baked characters & tedious narration.

“ You really need to accept the slow pace of this movie.

“ Very slow whispers.

“ Kurzel uses his images as a poet uses words and translates Shakespeare's poetic brilliance into emotionally engrossing visuals, almost to an orgasmic effect – I didn't want some of the long shots to go away because they were so consuming and beautiful to look at.

“ This is only made better by riveting direction from Justin Kurzel.

“By that I mean that the filmmakers didn't find a way to make the narrative deeply compelling and thrilling as I know it, it lacks that adrenaline punch that for me made Macbeth one of the greatest things ever studied in school.

“ Instead of being the impetus for Macbeth's fall from grace, she comes across as little more than an indifferent opportunist who is seen to inexplicably swing from craving power at any cost to being bored and then completely disinterested by subsequent events, something that makes her later suicide something of a non sequitur.

“ The swooping cinematography, extreme close-ups and arty use of colour and smoke are visually stunning and the best aspects of the film.

“ Justin Kurzel has managed to achieve the difficult feat of making a dull, boring film out of one of the greatest plays in the English language.

“ The forest doesn't move, so there is no reason for Macbeth to fear failure, yet he falls anyway, which makes it a pointless and inaccurate prophecy.

“ Apart from being hard to follow Shakespeare's complex phrase formulation, the action is null and the spectator looses the interest quickly.

“ Visually stunning, average adaptation .

“ But it was all rather confusing to be honest, with a massive amount of dialogue removed and other lines rearranged.

“) Then, you make sure that your brother's score continually drones on in the background, competing with what dialogue remains.

“The pace is fast and intriguing with little wasted time.

“ hard to follow.....

“ One of my ESL friends fell asleep, the other could follow along me easily than me thanks to the Chinese and Malay-language subtitles we get in Malaysia.

“ SPOILER ALERT: unforgivably, irredeemably DULL...

“ HUGE sections of dialogue missed out and what was there was often mumbled, difficult to follow.

“ The film is visually appealing, and despite its uneven performances, there is enough worth watching on the big screen.

“ The film emanates intensity throughout, because of the intended battle scene at the beginning, followed by the gripping delivery of the plot.

“ This movie did an incredibly amazing job at sticking to the source material whilst also incorporating a visually stunning cinematic style.

“ Why then produce a film version where the dialogue is muttered, uttered in a monotone, or pronounced in accents almost impenetrable, such that the viewer is struggling to catch even the most famous speeches.

“ If you are even one percent as pretentious as your movies would lead me to believe you are...

“ While Michael Fassbender has shown himself to be a very good actor in other films, here he sleepwalks his way through the story as Macbeth, delivering his lines with all the enthusiasm of someone terribly bored and disinterested in the material he has been given.

“ But it was boring.

“ Kurzel gives us a very stylish and visual interpretation of the play, with stunning photography from start to finish, pure eye-candy, The early battle scene is nothing short of epic, with at times ultra slow-motion photography for further effect.

“ He speaks in a constant monotone and rather mumbling way for the majority of the play.

“What follows is a drawn out, slow-paced, pretentious interpretation of the text that loses it's insanity and rhythm completely.

“Is he totally immersed in Hollywood's vanity?

“ The story is confusing and there is no battle scene or such.

“ Given the A list cast, some nice movie craftsmanship here and there and some nice settings, this movie is beyond boring.

“ Worth watching.

“It therefore seemed to me that the unrelieved gloom which pervades the film, and the use of such dull, uninteresting costumes, represented failure of visual imagination and a distortion of the themes of the play.

“ A stunning achievement by all concerned.

“ just how can you make Macbeth so boring.

“ Fassbender and Cotillard are wonderful as always, especially in these expressive and intense.

“ His performance in this movie was extremely intense and amazing in places so, although I didn't enjoy it, that is definitely not due to his commitment to the role.

“ Boring!

“ Breathtaking .

“ The madness in general is unanchored and a bit banal, and Fassbender only looks in control when whacking.

“ If you are in the mood for a highly stylish interpretation of "MacBeth" that features stunning performances from the lead actor and actress, you cannot go wrong with this.

“Even if the language bores or intimidates you, WATCH IT!

“ But it's boring.

“ This particular version looks quite pointless by comparison.

“ I personally thought both actors gave powerful, intense performances in the different way that one would be accustomed to.

“ Instead, the movie interprets the work and does so beautifully, not bending or construing the original narrative, but rather taking up the uncertainties and hints already present in the play and weaving them together into a compelling and persuasive modern take on a much-told story: Macbeth, an 11th century nobleman, meets three witches who predict that he will become king of Scotland.

“In addition, at the beginning, he assembles a series of slow planes, which do not come to mind.

“ very boring.

“ Macbeth is visually stunning.

“ How people find this boring is beyond me.

“ Colorful as well as evocative cinematography , though dark , by Adam Arkapaw .

“ The first hour is pretty slow too, and it takes a while for the story to pick up.

“Where William Shakespeare's tale of betrayal, greed and blindness leaves much room for interpretation, this cinematic version goes beyond what could easily have been a flat, drab interpretation, and makes it come alive and breathe new air into the tale.

“ To me, the result is simply rather dull, and quite possible, hard to follow if you didn't already know the story (though for some reason, the minor detail relating to the prophesy about Macbeth's killer - that he would not be of "woman born" - seems to be repeated dozens of times).

“ Michael Fassbender is stunning in the title role.

“ the movie was very difficult to follow and many pieces of the story felt out of place, as if we were waiting for something that never occurred.

“ Just as I had hoped, the film is a viscerally charged visual onslaught that is every bit as intense, hypnotic and grisly as the previews promised it to be.

“ This is a visually stunning film, with a wonderful score, a number of exquisitely choreographed scenes, some stunning acting by minor characters, tremendous witches, haunting scenery, some moments of brilliance, lacklustre performances by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, and total (and annoying) inconsistency of accents and setting.

“ If in the future Kurzel will handle other plays, they will be worth watching.

“ This kind of thematic distortion is reflected in the narrative's time line which disruptively keeps moving forwards and backwards to add to the overall sense of confusion and distortion.

“Kurzel's Snowtown was a gritty, grungy and downright dirty retelling of one of Australia's most notorious mass murderers and while Macbeth is much larger in scale, the realism mixed with a sense of the otherworldly that was prevalent in his 2011 debut is on show once more here in the stunning backdrops of rural Scotland that at times feel drenched in the surreal.

“ Very well made film that contains stunning fight scenes , lots of mood , grisly killings , fine acting , breathtaking battles and being compellingly set in a barbaric society .

“ I was waiting for a massive battle but walked out before I could see it.

“ Overall, the movie felt like a chore to watch because aesthetics and dramatics were prioritized over the script and intense plot.

“ The land is empty and uninhabited, and the lords of the land live in wooden huts surrounded by tents.

“ Marion Cotillard equally stunning .

“ His visual style turns this more into a loose-feeling art-house picture more than a classic Shakespearean tale, as he turns battles into warped dreams, monologues into very intense sequences, and makes an overall visually striking film.

“ Marion Cotillard is better but only marginally so since Lady Macbeth is nowhere near as compelling or even interesting a character in the film as she is in the play.

“ Both are visual and aural stunning master works.

“ It's so visceral and bold and unexpected.

“ And Lady Macbeth's most iconic scene/monologue was represented so perfectly that it was one of the best and most gripping scenes in the film.

“ In fact, Kurzel's effort seems to have fallen victim to the current popularity of zombies, so lifeless and empty as the main characters appear.

“ A Great but Difficult to Follow Plot and some Great Acting .

“ After the film finished I asked myself where was Shakespeare's Macbeth as the text had been gutted and the main actors delivering the lines in a flat monotone distilling any passion and energy.

“Another thing about this film was that it was slow.

“ Now, if you plan to make it misty, slow and theatrical, if the entire weight of the play is going to to lay on the work of the actors, please, do us a favour and go to the theatre to find them.

“ While it will not please everybody, Kurzel's treatment of a familiar story is little short of spectacular, gripping the spectator emotionally and visually.

“'Macbeth' is not my type of film and yet I found myself won over, in spite of its notable pacing issues which drastically slow the film down in its second act.

“ Fassbender is enigmatic and compelling in the role of Macbeth.

“ Sometimes the movie drags like a go slow slug.

“ His control over the film is awe inspiring.

“ Once again, mumbled words through barely moving lips on expressionless faces made them seem more bored than chilling as they should be.

“Had the film let its images linger on screen for a little longer, and taken things a little slower, it might have been less intellectually and emotionally exhausting.

“ It is gripping.

“ For example, upon the the discovery of the dead king Duncan, Macduff walks out and stars mumbling to himself, going full introspective: "Confusion now hath made his masterpiece.

“ One of Shakespeare's classic tales has been brought to a whole new level, as we enter the real dark world of Macbeth and the pain, guilt, and bloodshed forged from this mind blowing masterpiece.

“ Waste of time.

“ He sounds like dull audio book, most of the time.

“ (1) Gloom character (2) Gloomer characterBeat: 3/10 Unexpectedly, from Shakesphere's play which reputation from many beat in his play and entertaining style was make to only 3 beat (1) slow (2) slower (3) slowestOK, they find new way to interpret.

“ Well, it turned out to be so theatrical and close to boring.

“ Not breathtaking, but very enjoyable.

“ Thankfully the original dialogue is used, although rough accents at times obscure the language, whole scenes are omitted and the Shakespearean words are difficult to follow.

“ This, in addition to a magnificent set, perfectly selected costume design, and good acting all around, makes Macbeth overall worth the watch.

“ I found his portrayal in 'Legend' to be fascinating.

“ While this is not quite as good as Roman Polanski's 1971 version, it's definitely worth watching.

“ Especially, in the second act, the film becomes more pretentious with the over the top and "poetic" visuals and just leaves you with no emotion.

“ Makes Macbeth even more slow .

“ It felt empty, as if the actors didn't know what it was they were saying, and therefore the emotions that we read to understand the difficult dialogue was either misinterpreted or missing altogether.

“ The battle is a disjointed, badly-edited mass of random acts of violence and participants who look like they're on the highlights reel of a rugby match.

“ This made me re-watch them to make sure that my grip on Shakespeare wasn't slipping, but I found again that I enjoyed them, and yet I never engaged with Macbeth, though his story is utterly compelling and full of drama.

“ Gripping performances that are at times startlingly straightforward.

“ It's visually stunning and there are several great innovations : Macbeth's slain son offers the ghostly dagger for the big soliloquy and Banquo's son, Fleance reappears at the end, adding an unsettling note.

“ Instead, Michael Fassbender mumbles and whisper-talks his way through a dull, practically wooden performance that strips MacBeth of what makes him an interesting character: his internal struggle where morality and reason fight against opportunism and ambition.

“ The film has things to say about the play, and it says them with such insight that Shakespeare's Macbeth – a work so famous its mere nickname has a dedicated Wikipedia page – is once again made unpredictable and raw.

“ So in the end, it is beautifully shot, intense, extremely well acted and a great adaptation of this incredible play.

“ It is an exercise in flash over substance, which comes across as pretentious.

“ A visually breathtaking vision of the classic tale .

“ It really felt like a TV-movie with all the pretentious special effect.

“ Possibility due to its brevity, but probably owing more to its compelling story, the Scottish play has been one of the Bard's most popular.

“ But most mainstream audiences might get bored with this one.

“ The casting director has done a sterling job of assembling a fine squad of actors so it's a pity they're all wasted in this incessantly dull and unlikeable film.

“ I'm speaking specifically of the final battle, literally one of the most stunning scenes I've seen in a LONG time, and I've seen Mad Max: Fury Road.

“ After reading the play in class and watching Kenneth Branagh 's magnificent and breath-taking performance as Macbeth in National Theatre Live : Macbeth afterwards--which still stands as the best after seeing this--I realized how symbolically and psychologically intriguing and strong Macbeth was as a Shakespearean tragedy.

“ The direction is downright stunning.

“ That said, there were some pretty amazing things in it with interpretations that were stunningly exciting.

“ He seems to be more interested in artistic gimmicks such as the pointless and distracting slow motion in the first battle scene and in showing blood and guts than in the raw emotion and psychology of the play.

“ To those who are looking for a grand epic as the promotions suggested, it might disappoint them, though again it's all visually stunning, the movie doesn't let the action and warfare be just action and warfare.

“ A very enjoyable film that sets a new bar for interpreting Shakespeare's works.

“ It's a narrative style that makes sense to the story and a way of leaving out all the pointless scenes that would just add pacing problems.

“ It is relatively short by Shakespearean standards, has a straightforward and gripping plot, contains some of Shakespeare's greatest dialogue, includes a strong supernatural element which should stimulate any director's visual imagination and provides two magnificent roles, one male and one female.

“ However a major unexpected hurdle awaited me: without subtitles, a difficult whispered diction and a strong accent in a long-gone form of English, I found myself often lost in the dialogues, which distracted me from following the course of the plot.

“ But what ends up happening is that the film gets this lifeless and dull look that doesn't leave a substantial lasting impression.

“ Because maybe that might explain why one of the bard's greatest tragedies comes across as flat and boring.

“ The scenes are dragged out with music and extended shots, making the movie seem tedious and slow.

“ She delivered most of the lines in a hushed, sibilant whisper, he in an uninvolved monotone.

“ The most intriguing prophesy in all of Shakespeare - Birnam wood moving to Dunsinane- - it goes up in smoke, literally.

“ Artistically stunning .

“ But for what I cannot live with is the slow pace of the movie.

“ Overall, a visually stunning adaptation for those who loves the play.

“ The soundtrack was sublime, the cinematography was on the level of Roger Deakins, (therefore the best), acting was outstanding from all quarters, location was exact, costumes were breathtaking, reminded me of my favourite designer Alexander McQueen.

“The last nail in the coffin of this film is the dreadfully slow pacing.

“ In essence that is the flaw with the whole thing, and certainly the first hour which is dour and dreary, though not in a good way because it's so simplistically portentous and saved only by the scenery and the light.

“ The battle scenes are poor versions of the series Spartacus, the actors mumble their way through, delivering in a monotone, and they have changed the story so much, it is pretentious to call the film Macbeth.

“ Beautifully directed and edited, with a stunning cinematography, really haunting score and two magnificent performances by Fassbender and Cotillard, this undeniably cinematic experience is a mesmerizing adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tale of ambition, fear, guilt and madness.

“ Through all the confusion, I still found myself enjoying the fragments of dialogue and story that made sense to me.

“ Stunning Grandness .

“ Despite having a great actor on the cast, the film is boring an poetry is everywhere, everytime.

“Two other people who are equally stunning are Marion Cotillard and Sean Harris.

“ It is truly breathtaking.

“ Overlong and pretentious .

“ It was so bleak, intense and Art house it sank it's grim little fingers into the pit of my soul and abused me so hard that any happy thought I had left were snatched away.

“' What this quick dollop of a plot synopsis fails to render is the extraordinary altered viewpoint that Macbeth is not simply a ruthless power hungry man driven by his equally power obsessed wife, but instead is a man whose battle time and the mass killings for which he is responsible have created a PTSD personality change that is gripping and very moving to watch his descent into his fate.